My Fashion Statements is a fashion diary that aims to encourage every Tina, Drew, and Harriet to step out of that comfort zone by taking fashion risks without being afraid to raise a few eyebrows. This blog challenges conventions and commands conversations about the latest fashion news and style trends flooding the magazines and social media spheres. Fashion has a voice and we are the interpreters. You decide how you want to tell your story. After all, fashion rules are made to be broken.

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Thursday, September 18, 2014

NOT Matching is ALWAYS Better Than Matching

Fashion Month has reached its mid-point and we've seen a number of trends emerge and a few that have resurfaced. One of the major trends that has returned is that of the matching set. Models walked the runway in short suits that were oh so chic and bound to make our lives a lot easier. In contrast, mixed prints and mismatched getups were slightly less popular because of the challenge this trend presents. The concept of mismatching is reminiscent of the Tyra Banks "ugly pretty" aesthetic. Though these terms seem oxymoronic, they create an interesting high fashion look when combined. There's a way to look ugly and pretty simultaneously which can only be mastered by a highly skilled model. The definition of this term remains ambiguous as it is based on an undefinable human perception of beauty.

Mismatching follows a similar notion of beauty by being incredibly subjective. If you aren't matching, how do you know you look good? If you're breaking the rules, how do you make the right decisions? What makes a mismatch appealing to the human eye?

Recently, I decided that I'd cut down on my shopping and take a look inside my closet. I was inspired to pick out pieces I love and put them together in a new and original way. I grabbed a denim blouse and rather than choosing my first choice of jeans, I selected a pair I assumed wouldn't match the top. After putting it on, I was satisfied and lo and behold, I walked out the door.

via www.fashionista.com

What drove me to make that decision?

Perhaps it was the rush of trying something daring that broke all fashion rules about denim on denim. In today's world, this is becoming a more popular option amongst fashionistas and designers. Rather than striving to match, we're striving to set ourselves apart by putting something together something we think nobody else would attempt. We want to be different, individuals, unique.

Fashion Month is the perfect time to explore this opportunity as we rate street style photos and decide whether this wild blogger suits our fancy. Does "The Man Repeller" follow a rigid set of fashion rules? NO! And that's exactly why we love her. Is Marc Jacobs creating a collection everybody unanimously loves? No. That's what qualifies him as a genius.

Though we look to previous eras for inspiration and people tend to assume that the 2000s have no distinct fashion quality, what makes this era unique is that it relies on mismatching and combining of all the trends we loved from before. We can finally mash the 60s and 90s together, creating a look that takes our two favourite eras and juxtaposes them in one outfit. That's the beauty of this fashion generation.

So, take a break from matching and try something you probably wouldn't wear together. Fashion is about fun and therefore, no rules apply.